Building set for the sheeting of service ditches

ABSTRACT

THIS DISCLOSURE RELATES TO SHEETING FOR SHORING DITCHES AND SIMILAR EMBANKMENTS. IN LIEU OF THE USUAL ARRANGEMENT IN WOODEN TIMBERS, OR IN THE CASE OF PERMANENT SHEETING, STEEL PALTES, EACH WALL OF THE SHEETING IS FORMED OF HOLLOW STEEL SECTIONS JOINED TOGETHER WITH THERE BEING DISPOSED AT REGULAR INTERVALS GUIDE SUPPORTS, EACH OF WHICH INCLUDES ONE LEG WHICH IS RECEIVABLE IN THE SHEETING AND A SECOND LEG WHICH PROJECTS INTO THE DITCH AND HAS RECEIVED THEREIN SHOES OF TIGHTENING DEVICESS. THE GUIDE SUPPORTS ARE LONGER THAN THE SHEETING AND PROJECT THEREBELOW SO AS TO PROVIDE SUPPORTT FOR THE SHEETING AND TO PERMIT THE ADDIYIONAL DRIVING OF THE SHEETING AS EXCAVATION PROCEEDS WITHOUT RELEASING THE SUPPORTING PRESSURE ON THE SHEETING.

Nov. 23, 1971 J. KRINGS 3,621,660

BUILDING SET FOR THE SHEETING OF SERVICE DITCIIES Filed May 11, 1970 2Shoots-Shoot 1 :7 3 A f: v

I I6 3 L 0/ 8 F; .4 ALV 9 VIII INVENTOR. J 0 SE F K RlNGS ATTOQNEYS Nov,Z3, 1971 KRlNGs 3,621,660

BUILDING SET FOR THE SHEETING OF SERVICE nl'rcuEs Filed May 11, 1970 2Shoots-Shoot 2 I I a I v y I f I I l I 4 INVENTOR. JUSEF KPANGS OQMEYSUnited States Patent US. C]. 6139 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thisdisclosure relates to sheeting for shoring ditches and similarembankments. In lieu of the usual arrangement in wooden timbers, or inthe case of permanent sheeting, steel plates, each wall of the sheetingis formed of hollow steel sections joined together with there beingdisposed at regular intervals guide supports, each of which includes oneleg which is receivable in the sheeting and a second leg which projectsinto the ditch and has received therein shoes of tightening devices. Theguide supports are longer than the sheeting and project therebelow so asto provide support for the sheeting and to permit the additional drivingof the sheeting as excavation proceeds without releasing the supportingpressure on the sheeting.

The invention relates to a building set for the sheeting of serviceditches or similar things consisting of building plates to be arrangedin transversely spaced pairs and tightening devices that can be attachedbetween the plates, which tightening devices include tightening elementswhich are adjustable axially and shoes arranged at the ends of thetightening elements, and which shoes are received in perpendicular guidesupports fitting against the sheeting plates.

In the case of mechanical sheeting of service ditches or similar things,it has been known to drive sheeting plates along the sides of theexcavated ditches that are to be excavated into the soil by means of aramming weight which can be operated by an excavator. These sheetingplates as a rule consist of steel sections connected firmly with oneanother, whose longitudinal axes run parallel to the axis of the ditch.T ransversely to these sheeting plates are guide supports, generally inthe form of hollow sheet steel sections, connected firmly with theplates, each guide support having a carrier section for the reception ofshoes, and which section is open in the direction of the inside of theditch. The shoes are, in turn, attached to the free ends oflongitudinally adjustable tightening elements stretching across thewidth of the ditch. These tightening elements press the sheeting plateslying opposite to one another against the walls of the ditch and preventthe ditch from caving in.

It in the course of the further excavation of the ditch the sheetingplates are driven more deeply into the soil, then the tighteningelements first must be released, so that 3,621,660 Patented Nov. 23,1971 distortions of the profile of the ditch will be avoided. Whenreleasing the tightening elements, however, changes in the profile ofthe ditch likewise can occur easily due to the forces of the pressure ofthe soil acting on the sheeting plates, and under certain conditionscaveins can occur.

In order to avoid these, the proposal Was already made in my copendingapplication Ser. No. 793,409, filed Jan. 23, 1969, now US. Pat. No.3,530,679, not to fix the shoes in the guide supports, as is generallycustomary, but to guide them slidably. However, this solution offersonly limited advantages.

Therefore the present invention is based on the task of creating abuilding set for the sheeting of ditches where the driving in of thesheeting plates and the changes in the position of the tighteningarrangements can be accomplished to a large extent independently of oneanother in such a way that the profile of the ditch remains intact andthat a safe support of the wall of the ditch will be continuouslyguaranteed.

In accordance with the invention the sheeting plates are formed aselongated section carriers or steel sheet sections rigidly connectedwith one another, whose longitudinal axes run essentiallyperpendicularly and that the guide supports, in relation to the sheetingplates, are guided in said plates relatively shiftably.

With this construction, it is possible to drive in the guide supportsindependently of the sheeting plates or to draw them in independentlyand to arrange them at any desired positions of the sheeting plates. Indoing so, this will result in the advantage, that in the case of theplacement of large diameter pipes into the ditch, the sheeting platescan remain in their positions and merely the guide supports are pulledout somewhat in relation to the sheeting plates with the transversetightening of the sheeting plates facing each other suffering thereby inan essential way.

An advantageous development of the invention consists in this, that thesheeting plates consist of hollow sections and that the guide supportshave been developed as forkshaped bodies with parallel legs, one ofwhich inside legs is guided glidingly in one of the hollow sections ofthe assigned sheeting plate and the other outside leg of which isdisposed inside the profile of the ditch and consitutes a guide for theshoes of the assigned tightening arrangements.

A further advantageous development of the invention consists in this,that at least the outside leg of the guide support is longer than theheight of the sheeting plate. As a result of that, it is possible todrive in the guide support deeper than the sheeting plate and to use italso as a guide support for the sheeting plate, which can then be drivenin subsequently and accordingly.

Even if the soil below the sheeting plates is underwashed, still theguide for the sheeting plates remains intact. In order to develop thetightening elements guided in a pair of guide supports into a rigidtightening frame, it will be advantageous if there are two shoes guidedin one guide support with two tightening arrangements being connectedrigidly with one another. If desired and for practical purposes, twoshoes each disposed one above the other can be connected rigidly withone another through an intermediate element which is adjustable in itslength.

Further characteristics of the invention will come to light from thesubsequent description of embodiments according to the invention givenby way of example on the basis of the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a schematic arrangement of one side ofthe. building set according to the invention in operating position.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a ditch takengenerally along the line II--II in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the lineIIIIII in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of one set of shoes with parts broken awayand shown in section.

With reference to the drawings, the building set according to theinvention consists of two sheeting plates 1 facing each other (althoughonly one sheeting plate has been shown), guide supports 2 and tighteningarrangements 3 cooperating with the sheeting plates 1.

In detail, the sheeting plates 1 consist of perpendicular steel sheethollow sections 4 in the shape of a box or C- shaped in its crosssection and arranged one beside the other, which have been weldedtogether into plate bodies and whose longitudinal axes have beendisposed perpendicularly.

Every guide support 2 consists of a fork-shaped body, made up of a leg 5and a leg 6 with the leg 5 being of a box section or similar section.The leg 5 is guided as a gliding element in one of the hollow sections 4and will be called an inside leg. The other or outside leg 6 of theguide supoprt 2 is in the form of a U-shaped or C- shaped sectioncarrier. Effectively, at least the outside leg is longer than the heightof the sheeting plate 1 and may be sharpened on the bottom.

The upper ends of the legs 5, 6 project above the upper edge of thesheeting plate 1 and are connected rigidly with one another at theiruppermost part. Between the two legs 5, 6 there is a space of somewhatmore than the thickness of the wall of the sheeting plate 1, whichspacing is just sufiicient to make possible a relative movement betweensaid plate 1 and the guide support 2.

The shoes 7, 7' of the tightening elements 8, 8' are guided in theoutside leg 6. Preferably two shoes 7, 7' disposed one above the otherare connected rigidly with one another. As shown in FIG. 2, this can beaccomplished by forming both shoes 7, 7' from one piece. Anotheradvantageous design, shown in FIG. 4, consists in the fact that the twoshoes 7, 7' are connected firmly together by opposed spindles 9, 9'disposed axially in relation to one another and threaded in an elongatednut 10 in the form of a pipe. As a result, the two shoes 7, 7 can befirmly maintained at a certain spacing. It is also possible to use thetightening elements 8, 8' individually by omitting the connecting nut10.

As is shown in the drawings, every shoe 7, 7' includes a dumbbell-likebody, one part 1-1, 11 of which is guided in the outside leg 6 of theguide support 2, while the other part 13, 13' being connected theretovia an intermediate piece 12, for example in the form of a shaft butt,with the part 11, 11' disposed outside the guide support 6. Theseelements 13', 13' are enclosed in respective pressure housings 14, 14open on one side, which housings are disposed at the ends of thetightening elements 8, 8'. Each pressure housing is rigidly connectedwith either a righthanded or left-handed spindle 15, which is surroundedby a pipe-like nut 16, which; in turn, has projecting pegs 17 orsurfaces for the action of a suitable adjusting tool. The constructionof the tightening arrangement is not the subject of this invention butis the subject of my aforementioned U.S. application Ser. No. 793,409and need not 'be described here in more detail.

In orer to avoid tilting the tightening arrangement in the case of aperpendicular shifting of the shoes 7, 7 in the guide support 2, element13 ,13' has been configurated, for practical purposes, as shown in FIG.2, to be cylindrically or semi-cylindrically, the axis thereof runninghorizontally.

In operation, first of all the sheeting plates 1 are driven into thebottom of the ditch after the excavation of the ditch has been partiallycompleted and along the two ditch walls. For example, the shovel of anexcavator is used as a drop hammer. Then the inside leg 5 of each of apair of guide supports 2 is introduced into one of the hollow sectionsof two opposing sheet plates 1. Each guide support 2, if need be, can bedriven into the bottom of the ditch. Then the shoes 7, 7 are introducedinto the outside legs 6 of the guide support 2 and are connected withthe opposing shoes 7, 7' by the tightening elements '8, 8. Thetightening devices 3 formed in this manner may then be used to press theshoes 7, 7' against the guide supports 2 and the sheeting plates 1through operation of the nuts 8, 8'.

If it is necessary to free the open space of the ditch for theinstallation of large pipes, then the guide supports 2 themselves can bepulled somewhat upwards without the tightening devices 3 acting on thesheeting plates 1, having to be materially loosened. Also, thetightening arrangements 3 themselves can be vertically adjusted andarranged in height according to the necessary arrangement.

The new building element will permit a many sided use of its indvidualelements and makes possible a simpler method of operation. The buildingelement is not limited to a certain design of the tighteningarrangements 3 but may utilize other known designs. Also, the sheetingplates 1 and the guide supports 2 can have a dilferent profile withinthe framework of the inventive concept. For example, the sheeting plates1 also can consist of simple U-sections whose legs point toward theinside of the ditch, whereby the guide supports can be formed, forexample, with a double T or similar profiles, which on the one hand areguided in the profiles of the sheeting plate 1 and on the other handconstitute a guide for the shoes 2, 2 of the tightening arrangements 3.

While preferred forms and arrangements of parts have been shown inillustrating the invention, it is to be clearly understood that variouschanges in details and arrangement of parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. Building set for the sheeting of service ditches and the likeconsisting of sheeting plates to be arranged in pairs and of tighteningdevices attachable between said plates, said tightening devices beingformed of axially adjustable tightening elements having shoes disposedat their ends, and the shoes are received in perpendicular guidesupports fitting against the sheeting plates, characterized in that thesheeting plates are formed of elongated sections rigidly connected withone another, and whose longitudinal axes are intended to be essentiallyperpendicular, and the guide supports are guided for relative axialshifting movement relative to respective ones of said sheeting platesections and in relation to the sheeting plates as a whole.

2. Building set according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheetingplates are hollow and in that the guide supports are developed asfork-shaped bodies with parallel legs, one of which legs is guidedslidingly in one of said hollow sections of the respective sheetingplate and the other leg is adapted to be disposed inside a ditch profileand constitute a guide for said shoes of the respective tighteningdevices.

3. Building set according to claim 2, characterized in that at leastsaid other leg of each guide support is longer than the height of thesheeting plate.

4. Building set according to claim 2, characterized in that eachtightening device includes two of said shoes guided in each guidesupport with the shoes in each guide support being connected rigidlywith one another.

5. Building set according to claim 4, characterized in that the twoshoes are connected rigidly with one another by means of an intermediateelement adjustable in length.

6. Building set according to claim 4, characterized in that the shoesare configurated generally like dumbbells with one element received in apressure housing of said tightening devices and a second elementreceived in said guide support and one shoe element of each shoe is of agenerally cylindrical configuration with its cylinder axis disposedhorizontally.

7. Building set according to claim 1, characterized in that at leastsaid other leg of each guide support is longer than the height of thesheeting plate.

8. Building set according to claim 1, characterized in that eachtightening device includes two of said shoes guided in each guidesupport with the shoes in each guide support being connected rigidlywith one another.

9. Building set according to claim 8, characterized in that the twoshoes are connected rigidly with one another by means of an intermediateelement adjustable in length.

10. Building set according to claim 1, characterized in that the shoesare configurated generally like dumbbells with one element received in apressure housing of said tightening devices and a second elementreceived in said guide support and one shoe element of each shoe is of agenerally cylindrical configuration with its cylinder axis disposedhorizontally.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 554,680 2/1896 Haentges 6l--39 UX918,046 4/1909 Hartnagel 6139 3,420,065 1/1969 Holl 6141 A DENNIS L.TAYLOR, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 61-41 A

